500 new affordable homes announced for Fingal

Fingal County Council has announced that almost 500 affordable homes will be made available for purchase across the county in the coming months.

The Council has already provided 104 affordable homes in Lusk, Rush and Balbriggan which are either sold or at the sale agreed stage and will bring a further 492 homes in Mulhuddart, Donabate, Hollystown, Rush, Balgriffin, Lusk and Swords to market over the next eight weeks.

Welcoming the announcement, the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy, said “the affordable housing scheme is giving more people the chance to purchase their own home. There was a lot of interest in the three schemes already put up for sale and people will be delighted that there will be even more homes available for purchase in the coming months.”

Families moved into the 39 homes at Dun Emer, Lusk last year while the sales are closing on the 51 homes at Hayestown, Rush and 14 homes at Hampton Gardens, Balbriggan. Construction at these two locations is also nearing completion.

Next Tuesday, March 12, the application portal for 21 affordable homes in Balleally Rise, Hands Lane, Lusk will open at 12noon. This scheme will see 15 two-bedroom homes and six three-bedroom homes being offered for sale and is being delivered by Lagan Homes.

Then, on Tuesday, March 19, 36 affordable homes at Kilmartin Grove, Hollystown, Dublin 15, will be made available for sale with the application portal opening at 12noon. This scheme is being delivered by Glenveagh Developments and consists of 22 two-bedroom homes and 14 three-bedroom homes.

The application portals can be accessed through fingal.ie/affordablehousing. Further information on Affordable Housing is available at https://affordablehomes.ie/

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien has welcomed the increase in the availability of affordable housing in Fingal.

“I am delighted to see Fingal County Council delivering more and more affordable housing to market over the coming months. These developments, spread all across North County Dublin, will ensure affordable options are available to people so that they can put down their roots and own their forever home. I would encourage anybody interested in the affordable housing option – a house of your own at a discounted rate for those who qualify – to engage with the Council.

“This strong local pipeline of affordable housing is a great example of how our plan, Housing for All, is working at local level throughout our communities and is delivering a strong pipeline of housing of all types to the market over the coming months.

“We will only deal with the challenges we face in housing by increasing supply and growing our pipeline of future housing. Last year, the overall number of new homes delivered nationally was the highest in fifteen years, with almost 32,700 new homes completed. The current pipeline is also strong with 32,800 new homes commencing construction in 2023. This is good news for Ireland and for Fingal and I am determined to increase the momentum we have now created.”

The Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “Our Housing team has worked with the Department of Housing, the Land Development Agency and developers like Glenveagh, GEM, Ballymore, Lagan, Gannon and Manley to create a substantial pipeline of affordable homes across Fingal. We have already brought three schemes to market and it is great that over the next few months we will be inviting applications from prospective homeowners for almost 500 homes in 11 different locations across Fingal.”

The next offerings are scheduled for April on Council-owned land in Donabate and Mulhuddart. Glenveagh Developments are set to deliver 86 homes in the first phase of the Balmoston development while 51 of the 180 affordable homes being built by GEM Construction at Church Fields will be initially offered to the market with construction expected to be completed by the end of the year.

In April, the Council will also be offering 16 homes in different areas under the branding North County Homes. They will include three homes at The Paddocks in Donabate; two homes in Belcamp, Balgriffin; six homes in Miller’s Glen, Swords; two homes at Mooretown, Swords; and three homes at Lusk Village in Lusk.

May will see Fingal bringing 153 affordable homes to market. This includes 96 homes in Aster Park, Rush, which are being built by Ballymore Properties, and 57 homes at Wilkinson’s Brook,Hollystown, which have been provided by the Land Development Agency.

Fingal County Council’s Interim Director of Housing, Paul Carroll, said: “We have targets under Housing For All for the delivery of affordable purchase and cost rental homes so we are making good inroads into that. The Affordable Housing Scheme is giving people a realistic chance of owning their own home. The range of properties we will have on offer have a starting price of €290,000.”

The Affordable Housing Scheme gives people an opportunity to buy a house at a reduced price if they are unable to bridge the gap between their mortgage and deposit and the full price of the home. The Council makes up the difference by taking an equity share in the home which can be bought out by the purchaser at a time of their choosing. If the purchaser chooses not to redeem the equity share while living in the home, the Council can do so when the property is sold, transferred, or after the death of the owner.

Prospective purchasers are encouraged to check their eligibility for the Affordable Housing Scheme  and to have all the necessary documentation ready in advance of application portals opening. Thirty per cent of each scheme is reserved for people who have been living in Fingal for the past five years.

Further details, including information on eligibility and documentation required, are available at www.fingal.ie/affordablehomes.